we may stumble and fall but shall rise again
by MadHare0512
Summary: When Monroe asked them to marry him, it honestly didn't seem like that much of an issue. This, of course, is where the problems started.


we may stumble and fall but shall rise again (it should be enough that we did not run away)

By: AndiKaneUnderwood

**AU: Canon Divergence, Altered Timeline**

_"We may stumble and fall but shall rise again; it should be enough if we did not run away from the battle."_

_~Mahatma Gandhi_

When Monroe asked them to marry him, it honestly didn't seem like that much of an issue.

This, of course, is where the problems started. Monroe hadn't told his parents that he was: 1.) dating two people, 2.) dating a male, 3.) dating outside his Wessen species, 4.) dating a Grimm, 5.) living with both of his partners, and 6.) about to get married. Monroe's parents where traditionalists. They wanted a nice Blutbaden girl for their son to settle down with because that was how they'd lived and they'd done just fine. Monroe's way of life wasn't an issue when he hadn't told them anything about it.

Until, of course, Monroe tried to tell them.

He'd only gotten as far as to tell them he was getting married before his parents were making assumptions. They assumed he was only dating one person, that he was dating a female (partially true), that he was dating a Blutbad (not even a little bit true), and that he wasn't living with her (he was internally laughing at this point). They got very angry when Monroe told them wrong.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Nick had asked several times already if he should go and stay with Juliette and Adalind**(1)** for the weekend by the time everyone had calmed down enough to think rationally. "I mean, I'm a Grimm. It'll only upset them if they know."

"No, no. You're not going anywhere, Nicky. You're under enough stress at work without worrying about this too. Just..." Monroe sighed, pulling his partners in for a hug. "Just let me worry about it. You worry about your case at work, okay?"

Nick nodded against Monroe's shoulder. Rosalee tilted her head, "Did you say they wanted to know how much money I made?"

That had all three of them bursting into untamed laughter. Nick recovered the quickest. "I'll be back to help with dinner. I'll stay as long as I can," he promised, pressing kisses to both his partners' lips and snagging his keys and new leather jacket**(2)** as he headed to his car.

Monroe was already counting the moments.

When Nick got home, with plenty of time to help, it wasn't but an hour later when Monroe's parents showed up. Monroe was just offering to get some wine when they'd heard the knock. Nick's head shot up, eyes narrowed behind his glasses and both Wessen glanced at each other, knowing that Nick was listening for hostiles outside. It was a moment before he nodded. "Maybe it's Hank?"

Monroe placed the Blutbaden themed antique on the counter and went to check. The door opened and Nick froze. "They're here."

Rosalee hurried to finish the food. She turned to Nick, "Hey! Relax, Nicky, it's going to be fine."

Monroe came in just as Rosalee was offering reassurance. "That's them." he huffed, trying to think of anything else he may have forgotten. Rosalee worried over first impressions as she pulled off her apron and Nick just worried in general as he tugged on his shirt sleeves nervously. Monroe took Rosalee's and Nick's hands, leading them to the kitchen, but Nick pulled loose and stopped in the doorway, panic sending his mind into a spiral.

"This is my fiancee Rosalee and this," Monroe stopped suddenly, looking around. "Where'd he go?"

"Where'd who go, dear?" Alice asked, tilting her head confusedly.

"Ni- Oh, there he is." Monroe backtracked, coming to stand in front of his other lover. "Nicky, what's wrong?"

Nick glanced at Monroe, then back at Monroe's parents. "They aren't going to like me. I know they aren't and it's going to pull you away from them. I don't want to be the reason you don't have a relationship with your parents."

Monroe sighed. Nick's parents had died when he was young and he was raised by his flighty and hands-off Aunt Marie. Nick had lost his relationship with his parents. He didn't want anyone to have to go through what he had, he'd be damned before he let that happen. Monroe didn't see this situation like that. He put a finger under Nick's chin and made the young Grimm look at him. "Nick, if I lose this relationship with my parents, it's not going to be because of you. It'll be because they couldn't see past their hatred long enough to understand that you aren't like other Grimms."

Nick searched Monroe's face with conflicted grey eyes but nodded. "Okay."

Monroe smiled, "Okay. Ready?"

Nick nodded again, "I'm ready."

Things didn't go so well after that.

Rosalee would've left right then upon her realization that Monroe's parents were that traditional, but the moment they'd gotten a glance at Nick while they where woged, they knew immediately what he was.

"A Fuchsbau?" Burt snarled, and Rosalee woged in response to their woge, a distressed noise slipping from her lips. "What the Hell is going on here?"

Then Alice looked at Nick, wondering if he was the same and gasped, prompting Bart to glance at Nick as well. Nick backed away, his hands up in surrender as Bart yelled, "A _Gimm_!"

Monroe and Rosalee where both immediately on the defensive, Rosalee turning and pulling Nick away and Monroe advancing as he shouted, "Mom, Dad, no!"

Bart and Alice snarled, advancing as they growled and Monroe shouted. Monroe didn't want to hurt them, he loved them very much, but he'd never let anything hurt his lovers. The ensuing fight broke a few glasses and multiple wood pieces, but Monroe's focus wasn't currently on them. "Stop!"

Monroe managed to get ahold of his mother with Rosalee's help, shouting, "Not in my house!", but Nick was snatched at the jacket by Monroe's stronger father. "Nick! Dad, stop!" Nick pushed Bart away, punching him in the face as he did and the older Blutbad fell to the floor. Nick backed away several paces, not wanting to cause any more trouble.

Monroe gripped his mother's wrists as she roared, "Mom, no! He's not like that!"

Bart got to his feet and Nick backed further away, Rosalee left Alice to Monroe, going to help him with Bart. Monroe turned and lunged, putting an arm out in front of his father, "No, no, no, no, no!"

His parents roared again, trying harder to get to Nick. Monroe slipped in front of them, putting his arms out to catch them should they try to go for Nick again. Rosalee stood before and to the side of Nick, her arm in front of him as she shifted from foot to foot, ready to run for the door and get Nick out if she had to. Everyone was panting hard as Monroe shouted, "Stop!"

Monroe's parents snarled softly but didn't try to advance any farther as Nick watched Monroe worriedly.

"Everybody stop!" Monroe huffed, "Nick's not a danger to you. He's my fiancee too. He's my friend."

Bart and Alice both reverted to their human faces and glanced at each other, then looked at Monroe. "A friend?" Burt asked incredulously.

"What the Hell is going on?" Rosalee asked sharply.

Monroe glanced back, asking with no words if his lovers were both okay. Rosalee glanced at Nick, then nodded at Monroe. Monroe sighed, "Nick, Rosalee. These are my parents."

Bart huffed, "He's a Grimm!"

Alice looked at Monroe, "You're friends with a Grimm?"

Monroe's eyes crackled with irritation as he said, "I'm _marrying_ a Grimm."

"I am so sorry," Nick spoke up suddenly, "I didn't want to hit you. Although, you did just try to kill me."

Bart wiped the blood away from his face, looking at Nick in surprise, "Let me try and understand something here. I'm Blutbaden, you're Blutbaden, your mother's Blutbaden. He's a _Grimm_!"

"I can explain," Monroe replied evenly, voice breathless and exasperated as he calmed his racing heart.

"And you let him into your house?" Bart finished sharply.

"Okay, did you not hear what I just said? Nick is my friend, he's my fiancee." Monroe reiterated.

Rosalee turned and checked over her other lover, brushing debris off of him and quietly asking if he was okay. Nick nodded, "I'm fine, Rose," he whispered.

Bart scoffed, turning to Alice. "First he's engaged to a Fuchsbau, then he becomes _friends_ with a _Grimm_." Burt hissed, looking back at Monroe.

Nick flinched back a bit and Rosalee snarled in reply, whipping around to face Monroe's parents. "Monroe, if you don't do something with this, I will."

Monroe growled as Bart's skin crawled, "No, no, no. That is not happening. _Not_ in my house."

"Well, maybe your Grimm friend would like to take it outside," Bart suggested angrily.

Nick looked up startled, a noise of surprise passed his lips. Rosalee bared her sharpened teeth and Monroe hissed, "No he would not like to take it outside, because he'll kill you, okay? I've seen it happen, I've seen him do it. He doesn't want to hurt you."

Alice's face dissolved into horror and sorrow as she stepped forward. "You've hunted with a Grimm?"

"No, Mom, he's a cop! I mean, I just-" Monroe rebuffed, shaking his head.

Nick glanced as Rosalee. "Hunted?" he asked softly.

"I'll tell you later," Rosalee replied, not taking her eyes off of Bart and Alice.

Bart interrupted, "Alice, we're leaving."

Alice made her way past Monroe and Bart followed, but Nick couldn't just let them leave. "I don't want to cause any problems here."

"A little late for that," Alice replied tearfully, grabbing her coat.

"Please, just-" Rosalee pulled Nick back further as Bart came closer, shaking a finger.

"Why don't you just shut up?" Nick fell silent as Bart grabbed the bags and Alice opened the door. Bart looked at Monroe, "I don't know what you three are doing here, but it's wrong." With that, Monroe's parents left.

Monroe sighed, "Mom." he tried.

She stopped short and looked at him, "I don't even know who you are anymore." She slammed the door behind her.

Rosalee immediately turned and pulled Nick into a hug, then Monroe. "Are you both okay?" she asked.

Nick watched the door, "Yeah," he replied breathlessly.

Monroe nodded, "I'm fine."

Nick slowly came closer, "Monroe, I am sorry."

Monroe waved away the apology, pulling Nick into the biggest hug he could manage, "This is not your fault." He then stepped back, "You're still working the case right? Do you need to get back tonight?"

Nick shook his head, "No, Hank's got it tonight. He said for me not to be there until the morning."

Monroe sighed, "Okay."

Rosalee looked back and forth between the pair, tears filling her eyes. When they slipped down her cheeks, she couldn't hold anything back any longer, sinking to her knees on the broken wooden floor. Nick was immediately right there, pulling her in and attempting to comfort her. Monroe came a second later, pulling both of them in and whispering words of apology.

The small broken family sat on the floor in the middle of what was meant to be a safe space for them and cried with each other and for each other.

Monroe spoke up first, "I am so sorry. If I had known, I never would have told them anything."

Rosalee shook her head. "We need to talk."

Just then, Nick's phone rang and he had to go. He looked at the pair worriedly, "I-"

Monroe nodded, "It's okay. Go. We'll talk individually and together about this. Rosalee and I will just have to find the time with you later."

Nick nodded and left, offering apologies and promises to help clean up.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Monroe decided once he'd calmed down from the fight with his parents that no spoke to his lovers that way and once he was more level-headed he would speak to them about it. He was more level headed the next morning after spending the night in the spice shop than he'd have been if he and Rosalee just went up to bed.

"I'm going to find them, say my good-byes, then you and me and Nick are going to get on with our life together. I don't care what they think, I don't care what _anyone_ thinks. You all are mine and no one can disrespect and attack you in our home without dealing with me." Monroe put the phone to his ear and called his mother.

When he met them at the Stanbridge hotel, he knew his father would think he had little to say and his mother would say even less, but that was okay. He could do enough talking for the three of them combined. His mother opened the door. "Morning." he greeted them as he came in.

Monroe sighed, "Maybe it's my fault. I should've told you about Rosalee and Nick."

"Yes, you should have," Bart replied.

"I didn't know you were going to come out right away. Okay, I thought I had a little more time. I should have said something, okay? But that shouldn't even matter."

"It does matter." Bart interrupted, "These mixed marriages never work!"

"Dad, we are not living a hundred years ago."

"There are reasons we stick to these rules!"

"Yeah, ignorance and bigotry." Monroe shot back.

Bart's eyes glowed red and Monroe almost felt like a kid again, but he hadn't broken into his father's liquor cabinet this time, he was getting married to the loves of his life. He would not be cowed and he would not submit.

"I don't have to let him do anything!" Bart snarled, baring his teeth, "And I can't believe you're still doing this vegetarian crap. Why don't you just wear a sign saying you're ashamed of who you are?"

"I'm not ashamed of anything," Monroe replied.

"Oh, yeah, I saw that with you and your Grimm." Bart scoffed, "Are you serious?"

"Nick is different," Monroe said firmly. He refused to let anyone believe Nick would willingly kill a Wessen, he'd almost come to blows with Renard over it. Nick was not his parents' version of a Grimm. Nick was wonderful and amazing and Monroe loved him very much.

"Oh, he's a vegetarian too?" Bart asked loudly.

The underlying tone made Monroe's hair stand on edge. He advanced, eyes glowing red and breath coming in pants as a rasping growl came from deep in his chest. _No one_ spoke about Nick like that. _No one_. His mother made a noise and Monroe shook his head sharply, calming himself down long enough to think rationally. "Look, I just came to say that I'm sorry you don't care to understand who I am or listen to anything that I have to say. But I love Rosalee and Nick, and I'm going to marry them. If that destroys the family, then so be it."

"Oh, please don't say that." Alice pleaded.

"You're not giving me any choice," Monroe replied, looking down at her.

"You just refuse to respect who we are." Burt hissed.

Monroe felt his eyes water, "I'm sorry you feel that way." He looked at both of them and began to back away. "Goodbye." With that, he left.

His mother chased after him, but she stopped short of the door and sighed. "Oh. What have we done?" she asked her husband.

Bart looked at her and replied, "The right thing."

Alice stood there and looked at him wondering why 'The Right Thing' felt more like heartbreak and guilt, "I'm not so sure about that." She left to the bedroom and sat on the bed, tears slipping down her cheeks.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Alice made an intimate decision that she was not ready to lose her son to her stubbornness. She loved Monroe too much to let him walk away because of _her _traditions and values. Monroe was his own man and she needed to understand that and allow him to make his own choices, whether she liked them or not. Otherwise, she would lose him and that was not something she could live with.

First things first, she'd need to apologize to Monroe's fiancees and explain herself to them.

Alice knew she wasn't ready to face a Grimm by herself just yet, so she went to Rosalee first. Tapping on the door to the spice shop, she called, "Rosalee, it's Alice. Are you still here?"

Rosalee straightened with a sigh, "Now what?" She walked over to the glass.

"I need to talk to you," Alice said.

Maybe it was the desperation in Alice's voice that sounded too much like her mother's when she'd begged for her children not to fight at the dinner table, but Rosalee sighed again and opened the door. Alice offered her thanks as she passed. "Quite a shop you have here."

"I don't think you came to talk about my shop," Rosalee replied, picking up a few jars and moving them behind her counter.

"No, I didn't," Alice confirmed.

Rosalee prompted her to continue, "Well, if you have something to say, this would be a good time."

"I love my son, and I don't want to lose him. Clearly, he loves you and I hope to God you love him." Alice began.

"I do very much. So does Nick." Rosalee replied, watching Alice tense, then let it go when she mentioned her other lover.

"Look, you have to decide for yourself what's right. Even if it's a mistake. I'm-" Alice sniffled, "I'm not saying that it is." She sighed, "I can't say that I'm satisfied with every decision I've made. But I've never challenged out traditions because I believe in them."

Rosalee tilted her head. "Why are you so sure we'll fail?"

"Becuase I know how tough marriage is, even when you're the same."

"Then why are you here? You know we don't agree with you."

"I wanted to talk to you to see-" she paused. "See if you'd be open to the Vertrautheiten."

Rosalee blinked. "Wow. Do you think that would help?"

"It couldn't hurt," Alice replied.

Rosalee came around the counter and they woged. Rosalee paused. "You know you'll have to talk to Nick too, right?"

Alice nodded. "I'll face anything to keep my son. _Anything_."

Rosalee smiled as much as she could and they began the process. Rosalee offered a purr and was relieved when Alice followed her lead.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Monroe's father was waiting for him when he stopped the car and got out. He wasn't happy when Monroe told him Nick was on his way over.

"The Grimm is coming _here_?" Bart asked.

"This is his home, Dad." Monroe snapped back.

Bart closed the door, " I didn't here to argue."

"Oh, what, you got a few more cultural cliches for me to live by, or what?" Monroe asked tensely. "Dad, listen, I have no interest in trying to change you or Mom, okay? But I do have a very real interest in living _my_ life _my_ way."

"I get it. But believe me, that's not the real problem. This relationship with the Grimm, it goes against everything we believe in!" Bart tried to reason.

Monroe wanted to laugh, "You don't know Nick."

"Know a Grimm? How can that be _possible_?" Bart shouted.

"The fact that I'm standing here is proof that it is indeed possible! But I didn't plan on introducing you to a Grimm, Dad. I was introducing you to Nick. Let me just say, the first time I met Nick, it didn't go so well. I didn't even know he was a Grimm first. He thought I was a suspect in a case he was working on**(3)**." He smiled as he remembered, "But you know what? We got to know each other, Dad. We started to trust each other. He has saved my life and I've saved his. He is different and so am I, so..."

Monroe took a breath and backed away. "You know, maybe it's better this way, just out in the open, to deal with or not. But he's on his way home right now and I'm going to help him like it or not."

"And how are you going to help him?" Bart asked, "By killing Wesen? Is that how you're going to help him?"

Monroe's eyes flickered red again, but he clamped down his temper and managed to answer, "I'm not asking for your approval, Dad."

"Whose head are you going to cut off tonight?" Bart snapped. "A Blutbad? A Hundjager? Even if it was a _Bauerschwein_..." he spat on the floor, "I wouldn't agree,"

"Caccia Morta," Monroe replied evenly.

"A _Wildesheer_?" Bart breathed.

"Nick's here, Dad. Just go home." Monroe replied as he checked the window.

"You can't go up against the Wildesheer." Bart turned to Monroe.

Monroe looked back at Burt and snarled, "Stop telling me what I can and cannot do. Stop worrying about _me_ and start worrying about _Mom_." Monroe opened the door, "Nick."

"Monroe," Nick replied as he stepped into the house. He caught sight of Bart, who backed away a few paces. He glanced at Monroe, "We can do this another time."

"Not with Wildesheer, we can't. My Dad's leaving." Monroe pressed a kiss to Nick's forehead, then raised an eyebrow at his father.

Nick nodded, slipping past Monroe and into the living room, glancing at Bart as he did. Bart backed out of the house, refusing to give even the slightest of chance Nick could kill him. Monroe scoffed and closed the door. Not even a few moments later they heard the howl.

"That sounded not so good," Nick observed, knowing how Monroe sounded when Angelina had died.

"Yeah, he's in a not so-good-place right now, but I'm done with that. Nick, you need to know what your up against this time, because it's bad." Monroe pulled another book off the shelf. Nick interrupted Monroe with a hug.

Monroe grunted and hugged him back, "Nick?"

Nick sighed, "I'm sorry. I know this is time-sensitive, I just-" he cut off with a sigh.

Monroe nodded, "It's alright."

They stayed as long as they could afford, then it was back to business.

When their battle was over and Bart had been convinced that Nick wasn't going to murder anyone, they were told the full story. Bart took notice of something he'd never thought he'd see in person. Nick didn't look happy at the challenge for something new. He looked scared at the idea that something worse would happen.

Bart stayed with them a while, apologizing to Monroe and Nick until Alice came back with Rosalee. Alice was also apologetic, offering her hand to Nick, though her hand was shaking terribly.

Nick offered her a smile, "I'm so happy to meet you, ma'am."

Alice waved away the formality, "Call me Alice, dear."

Nick's smile brightened, "Alice."

Bart also apologized to Rosalee for his treatment of her. Rosalee nodded her acknowledgment. She was still pissed at him for how he treated Nick and until he apologized for that, he was on thin ice with her. After they had dinner, Bart and Alice packed up their things and left for real that night, leaving some cash to help pay for the things they'd broken in the fight.

Monroe sighed, then turned and looked at his fiancees. "What say we turn in early tonight?"

Nick sighed in relief, "I thought you'd never ask."

Rosalee laughed and nodded, "I'm okay with that."

They headed up the stairs, half racing and half walking, but all with love. As they went to bed that night, they each were thankful for each other and the roles they had in each other's lives.

Stumble and fall they may, but they would always rise. They would never retreat from each other, not even when the battle was hard.

**(1) So, I'm a big shipper of Juliette and Adalind. Instead of going back to Eric and the Royals, she stayed in town and with Juliette. Juliette offered her spare bedroom and Adalind agreed. Adalind did get her powers as a Hexenbeist back, but only because she took the last trip up to get the last of her things. Once she had the things she needed to get her powers back, she came back to Portland and stayed with Juliette again. She and Nick are on okay terms, the relationship is a bit rocky.**

**(2) Remember the episode where Nick, Hank, and Wu's clothes had to be completely incinerated. Yeah, Nick happened to be wearing the leather jacket Hank got him in 'tear me to pieces; skin and bone (hello, welcome home)' and Hank got him a new one to make up for it. Cause Hank's a good partner.**

**(3) In this world, the relationship between Nick and Rosalee and Monroe dates back about two years pre-canon. Nick was a beat cop working the streets when he and his partner got the call that the Spice Shop had been broken into. Rosalee had been there to help Freddy and Monroe was working there as well part-time. When they got there, Nick's instincts told him something was up beyond what the employees were saying. Monroe was investigated as a result but cleared of any wrongdoing. Nick and he had an altercation in the process, but they got over it and laugh about it sometimes to this day.**


End file.
